Sugar Bytes

As previous oferings Cyclop (9/10, 181),
Obscurium (10/10,
223) and Factory (9/10,
235) make apparent, when Sugar Bytes set
their sights on building a softsynth, the end
product is invariably like nothing we’ve ever
seen before . Their latest, Aparillo (VST/AU/AAX/
standalone), is billed as primarily intended for
“cinematic sound design”, and one look at its
unearthly interface makes it clear that this is yet
another curveball from the German developers.
Aparillo talk
Aparillo is a 16-voice, two-operator FM synth,
with the operator parameters accessed in the
Synth page of the tabbed GUI. The Ratio and FM
sliders control the harmonics and modulation
intensity, while a choice of three algorithms
enable each operator to run in parallel; Op I to
modulate Op II with the Op II Ratio applied to Op
I; and the same again but with the sum of both
Ratios applied to Op I’s modulator. Three
harmonic modes determine the ‘snapping’ of
the Ratio: Of (full spectrum, for inharmonic
sounds), Quantized (the Farey Sequence) and
Harmonic (40 speciically-selected harmonic
ratios). The Op Balance slider mixes between the
outputs of the two operators.
While Aparillo’s 16 voices can be used for
regular polyphony, they’re really meant to be
stacked for wild ensemble patches using the
synth’s unique voice modulation setup, which
we’ll come back to shortly. Indeed, so central is
Sugar Bytes
Aparillo €99
With its imaginative unison modulation setup and big-sound sensibility,
this new FM synth wants to be the star of your next big production
“Aparillo’s 16 voices are
really meant to be
stacked for wild
ensemble patches”
ENVELOPE PAGE
Adjust the two
envelopes and
switch to Poly mode
ORBIT
Aparillo’s powerful
performance
controller
FM CONTROLS
Adjust each
operator with Ratio
and FM sliders
LFO DISPLAY
Keep your eye on
the movement of
the 16-voice LFOs
FM ALGORITHM
Choose one of three
operator routing/
mod algorithms
ARPEGGIATOR
Pick out individual voices
for arpeggiation
SAMPLE & HOLD
Raise to push LFO 2 towards
random stepped output
GRAVITATION
Influence the
‘bounce’ kinetics
of each LFO
SHIFT
Detune the 16
unison voices by
modulating this
JITTER
Offset the 16 LFO voices with
these all-important knobs
FX PAGE
Access the Filter,
Spacializer, Panner,
Delay and Reverb
Unison mode to the whole Aparillo concept, it’s
the default state rather than a secondary option.
Detuning of the 16 Unison voices is done with
the Shift slider and the pop-out Scale Editor,
where you load various preset transposition
scales or design your own, spreading the 16
voices out over up to three octaves. Voices can
be dragged smoothly between chromatic
pitches for disharmonic unison, or snapped to
them for chords.
The Form parameter applies either or both of
two waveshaping efects (Formant and Shaper,
the last narrowing or broadening the waveform)
to one or both operators, followed by optional
wavefolding. Think of it as a highly manipulable
‘distortion-plus’, and you won’t go far wrong.
The Jitter slider controls the depth of a
randomising algorithm that knocks the phase of
each wave cycle around a bit, resulting in what
Sugar Bytes very accurately describe as “a
rather granular noise”.
92 / COMPUTER MUSIC / May 2018
> reviews / sugar bytes aparillo
CMU255.rev_aparillo.indd 92 06/03/2018 16:39